Beryl var. Aquamarine, Muscovite: Chumar Bakhoor, Pakistan

Description

Species: Beryl var. Aquamarine, Muscovite

Locality: Chumar Bakhoor, Nagar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm.

SOLD

Aquamarine from Chumar Bakhoor, a pegmatite district located at an elevation of 5,520 meters in the Sumayar Valley of Nagar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, may be the “Brazilian amethyst of gem crystals” to some collectors… in other words, there has seemingly been so much material on the market that we have become ‘desensitized’ to it. However, like anything, truly fine examples are actually rather scarce, and this very aesthetic 9 cm. wide example is one of my favorite specimens from the Herb Gregor (1928-2020) collection I just acquired. While the ~5.5 x 3 cm aquamarine crystal is glassy, perfect, and undamaged, what really sets this piece off in my opinion is the perfect “flower” of undamaged muscovite crystals which totally surrounds the aquamarine. So often the muscovite crystals which form the matrix for fine aquamarine, fluorite, and apatite crystals at Chumar Bakhoor are damaged, and these are in perfect condition and are of great quality. Just a beautiful mineral specimen. Annette Slade photo.